Professional Identity, School Reform, and Burnout: Some Reflections on Teacher Burnout

Abstract

The reflections on teacher burnout in this chapter are inspired mainly by the contributions of Byrne and Miller. Taking these two as a starting point, I offer comments related to three different perspectives on teacher burnout: the sociological, psychological, and organizational perspectives. The first comment concerns the absence of a sociological perspective. My argument is that factors at the macro level of society are important to the analysis and explanation of teacher burnout. My second comment concerns the psychological perspective and the personality factors included in the model of burnout tested in Byrne's study. I argue that specific teacher-related personality factors must be taken into account to explain teacher burnout. My third comment concerns the organizational perspective on teacher burnout and the impact of working conditions on teacher stress, dissatisfaction, and workload. I argue that burnout can often be traced to a particular combination of school organization and teachers' professional orientation. In closing, I reflect on Miller's idea that some new forms of learning can provide a buffer against burnout and report on the results of research into the innovative capacity of schools. These findings confirm Miller's claim that teacher learning and development are contextually determined.